


Dark Paradise

by luctoretemergo



Series: Love is a Learning Curve [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash, mentions of minor character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-02
Updated: 2012-12-02
Packaged: 2017-11-20 01:18:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/579718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luctoretemergo/pseuds/luctoretemergo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles isn't sure why he winds up in that part of the cemetery, but he regrets it instantly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dark Paradise

Stiles doesn’t know what compels him to do it.

Maybe its curiosity, or maybe sadness. Or maybe it’s just some sick, twisted desire to know he’s not the only one left with a carved out heart from losing someone when you weren’t ready.

They used to visit his mom’s grave, twice a month like clockwork. Until his dad got too busy and Stiles was too distract with school, and Scott and just trying to /live/ without her. The guilt creeps up on him and his dad a few years ago when they realize that no one’s been to her grave in at least three months. That’s when they make a pack to have at least one of them go every month. His dad is still busy, so a lot of the time Stiles ends up picking up the slack. He doesn’t mind though, it gives him time to clear his head and talk to his mom, without having to worry that his dad is going to start feeling guilty.

It’s on one of these monthly visits – this one is definitely supposed to be his dad’s, but being the newly reinstated Sheriff he doesn’t have much time off – when Stiles realizes that he’s not the only one with family buried in that cemetery. That somewhere there has to be a Laura Hale carved into a tombstone, still new and shiny. Probably not with flowers like the rest of the new graves that dot the cemetery. Stiles just can’t see Derek with a flower in his hand, let alone putting one on someone’s grave.

He’s shocked by how long it takes him to find the grave. Or rather, graves. They are tucked in the back surrounded by a black iron structure. It strikes Stiles as he lingers at the entrance that Derek doesn’t just have a sister buried here. He has an entire family, dead far before their time. It makes his stomach churn with guilt. He shouldn’t have come looking for their graves, not with the express purpose of reaffirming that Derek actually had family in the first place. 

He knows that the best idea is to just turn around and head back to his mother’s grave; mumble apologizes to her for getting distracted. But Stiles isn’t all that great at doing what was best, so instead he steps into the plot of land that exclusively belongs to the Hale family. 

What strikes him first is the fact that there are flowers, on each and every grave. They aren’t brand new, but certainly not old enough to signal neglect of any kind. Obviously visited more than Stiles visits his own mother’s grave. But he can’t really compare the two; Derek doesn’t have any other family than the ones in the ground in front of him. At least he has his dad, and Scott and honestly a lot more people who he could be around than rows of lonely tombstones. Derek doesn’t. He can’t help but wonder if Derek has anything. 

Without thinking he leaned down to the nearest grave and picked up the white flower that was lying next to the tombstone. Twisting it around in his fingers, Stiles couldn’t help but drop the flower immediately when a few petals fell from it. He felt like he was destroy scared ground, which maybe he was. These were graves after all, of people who were killed simply because they were different. He shouldn’t be here, he really shouldn’t be here. 

Taking a few steps backwards, Stiles couldn’t help but run from the Hale’s corner of the cemetery. Far too panicked and guilty to watch as a dark figure stepped into the same structure he was just in and adjusted the flower he’d dropped. Stiles is gone long before he could notice Derek Hale crouching at the tombstone of one of his many family members and tracing their name with his fingertips.


End file.
